THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 1B
Annie Snodgrass/DAILY TEXAN
Texas senior forward Brad Buckman, left, and Texas sophomore forward LaMarcus Aldridge jump to block Kansas sophomore center C.J. Giles' shot during Saturday night's game in Austin, Texas. The Jayhawks lost 80-55.
MEN'S BASKETBALL: 80-55
Texas 'way too much' for Kansas
Rush, defense struggle in loss to Longhorns
BY RYAN COLIAMNI
colaiarni@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIETER
AUSTIN, Texas — Bill Self learned Saturday night that his team has another step to take if it is going to be one of the elite teams in the country this season.
With a national television audience, and ESPN's "College Gameday" in attendance, Kansas fell 80-55 to Texas.
"It is one game. I am not very happy now." Self said. "I think the way it ended up certainly told our team that there is another big step that we have to take."
The loss was the largest margin of defeat for Kansas under Self's leadership.
Texas led by as many as 28, which prompted the student section to chant, "Worse than Baylor," in reference to the 27-point victory Texas had against Baylor on Feb. 14.
Texas shot better than 55 percent in the game, which was the best a team has shot against Kansas this season. The Jayhawks were the No.1 ranked team in the conference in field-goal percentage defense coming into the game.
Freshman guard and KU leading scorer Brandon Rush struggled all night and connected on just 1-for-8 field goal attempts.
"The first half we didn't really stick to our defensive principles and they got comfortable," said freshman forward Julian Wright, who was the lone bright spot for Kansas with 18 points. "We didn't give ourselves a good chance to win because we kept harping on mistakes we made."
Kansas was unable to get into any offensive flow, appearing uninterested in a game that was its biggest of the season.
"This was as poor as he has looked since he has been here," Self said. "We expect a lot of Brandon, I know I do. I know fans do, but he has got to go through the same things that all other freshmen do."
Rush didn't connect on a field goal until nearly 30 minutes passed. He finished with three points. Rush said the team's performance was embarrassing.
The Longhorns dominated the Jayhawks in every facet of the game, from three-point shooting to rebounding. Texas had 12 offensive rebounds and
36 total rebounds. Kansas had only half as many total rebounds.
"That's a national championship-like performance tonight," Self said. "Certainly, they were way too much for us tonight."
Kansas also turned the ball over 16 times, nine of which were in the second half when Texas pulled away.
thing was just going right," sophomore guard Russell Robinson said.
"It is disappointing because we have been playing so well recently, you know a 10-game winning streak and every-
The loss was Kansas' first since the Jan. 16 loss at Missouri.
"We didn't become a bad team in 40 minutes tonight," Self said. "We played poorly, they made us play poorly and the kev is not to let one become two."
"We will learn from this one and correct it," he said.
"We really hadn't played anyone that good, so it was a real test," sophomore
center CJ Giles said. "We are not taking it as a down game, we are just taking it as another learning experience for us to build on to get to that next level."
With a one-game lead in the Big 12, Texas has games against Texas A&M and Oldahoma to finish the regular season. Kansas will face Colorado at home and Kansas State on the road to finish the regular season.
- Edited by Janiece Gatson
Don't fuss about Texas, basketball is for Kansas
TRAVIS ROBINETT
TROBINETT@KANSAN.COM
AUSTIN, Texas — According to the natural order of college basketball, that wasn't the way the Texas game was supposed to go. Kansas was supposed to go into Austin and show that it was the one and only elite school in Big 12 basketball, despite its youth. Oh well. Kansas is still on top of the Big 12 basketball totem pole, and always will be.
Don't worry about Texas' 25-point victory on Saturday. Texas had more experience and the home court advantage. Don't worry about Texas defeating Kansas three out of the past four games. That run will be short-lived. Don't worry about the talented recruits Texas coach Rick Barnes will continue to bring in, or the number of Big 12 titles he wins.
Don't even worry if Texas wins a national championship. Texas is just not a basketball school, and never will be.
"We have a football national championship," Scott Butler a UT senior told me after the game.
Butler has been to all the basketball games this season. Very few of Texas' 50,000 students can say that. "If the basketball team wins, it's cool, but if they lose, no one cares," he said.
That was apparent at the Erwin Center. I wasn't sure whether I was at a college or NBA game. Every seat had a back with a cup holder. Despite being nearly twice the size of Allen Fieldhouse, the arena holds only about 1,000 more fans.
Where I sat was so warm, I struggled to recognize the Kansas players during warm-uns. That not all.
The lights were turned off for the player introductions, which included Longhorn spotlights. Every single television timeout had a gimmick with a giveaway. Some joker in a burnt orange blazer and backwards hat would come onto the court with a mic and explain the game about to be played. At one point, he even led "the wave." Come on, Texas, at least do it only when it's spontaneous.
With the Big 12 championship on the line Saturday, you would think fans would have shown up in full force. But the only reason the game was sold out was because Kansas was coming to town, and no, Texas fans don't get extra pumped up when their team plays the Jayhawks. The upper-deck looked like Allen Fieldhouse south. About one fourth of the nose-bleed seats were taken by KU fans.
"I wasn't surprised y'all showed up in force," Butler said about the thousands of KU fans. "In Kansas it's all about basketball. Here, it's all about football."
So congratulations to Texas. Barring a complete collapse down the stretch, it will win its second Big 12 basketball championship that no one cares about.
The only time the school can win one is when the Jayhawks are busy reloading their guns. Kansas will be back next year to kick Texas' butt in Allen Fieldhouse.
- Robinett is an Austin, Texas, junior in journalism.
  He is a Kansas correspondent editor.
BASEBALL
Jayhawks steal three victories in Nashville
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
In his 100th appearance, senior closer Don Czyz threw another stellar weekend, picking up saves in all three of Kansas'
(10-4) victories in Nashville
In Nassau.
Cazy capped off the weekend with a 4-3 victory against Vanderbilt (3-4) yesterday afternoon. Senior right-hander Kodiak Quick (2-1) took the hill against
"An anybody and Czyz combo is a great combo," Quick said of Czyz. "For him to pick up three saves in a weekend is pretty impressive."
the Commodores for the second time in as many Sundays. Although the 5.1 inning start didn't amount to a decision last weekend, the eight innings of work Quick put in yesterday was enough to pick up his second victory of 2006.
which struck out two in the bottom of the ninth.
Quick said he felt confident about both his pitching and the defense behind him, but he was most pleased about his relief.
"An anybody and Czyz combo is a great combo. For him to pick up three saves in a weekend is pretty impressive."
After senior outfielder Matt
Kodiak Quick Senior pitcher
outfielder Matt Baty and junior outfieldier Kyle Murphy collided and left the Lipscomb University game early on Saturday, sophomores Brock Simpson and John Allman stepped up to fill their shoes
Second baseman Ryne Price also spent a chunk of the weekend sidelined with a sore wrist, and sophomore Matt Berner replaced him against Belmont and Vanderbilt. Four of the Jayhawks' eight starting hitters on Sunday were not usual starters. All but one of them tagged a hit yesterday.
against Vanderbilt.
The KU bench cheers as Kansas takes the lead in overtime. The Jayhawks defeated Missouri 81-71 Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 3A
▼ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: 81-71
Offense dominates in overtime
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
mphillips@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITE
Megan True/KANSAN
Rarely does an overtime game turn into a blowout, but that's what the Kansas women's basketball team did on Saturday against Missouri.
Down by three in the final seconds of regulation, Missouri forced overtime by drawing a controversial shooting foul on a last-second three-point shot attempt.
Kansas responded by scoring the first eight points of overtime, coasting into an 81-71 victory.
Missouri (20-7) is likely headed to the NCAA tournament, making the victory for Kansas (16-10) even more important. It may just be the one that gets the team into the WNIT.
"I hope so," Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "We're going to try to get another one, though."
If Kansas makes the tournament it will be because of the senior class. Senior forward Crystal Kemp and senior guard Erica Hallman combined for 54 points on Saturday. Hallman's 29 were a career high, and all the more impressive because she was struggling to make shots early.
overtime situation, because of adrenaline."
Hallman was matched up against Missouri's Tiffany Brooks, who scored 26 points, but played only 43 of the 45 minutes because Hallman had worn her out.
"In overtime I was like 'man, my legs are starting to give out,'" said Hallman, who played all 45 minutes. "But you can't be fully tired in an
Hallman seemed to connect on all of her big shots down the stretch, alternately making baskets and encouraging her teammates.
"I just respect how much she's really trying to be a leader right now." Hendrickson said.
Kansas led by three near the end of regulation, but Missouri had one final possession. Forward Carlynn Savant couldn't free herself
from the Kansas defense. She leaned into junior guard Sharita Smith and heaved up a threepoint shot. The shot fell short, but a foul was called on Smith, and Savant went to the line.
"That was smart on her part to learn in," henrickson said. "Not all the time do you get that call because officials realize what she doing."
SEE OVERTIME ON PAGE 8B
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